Hand tool bender for metal lath hangers



Oct. 28, 1958 e. D. M NISH 2,857,792

HAND TOOL BENDER FOR METAL LATH HANGERS Filed Nov. 21, 1956 Fig./

Fig.4

20 George 0. M0 M51) IN V EN TOR.

HAND TOOL BENDER FOR METAL LATH HANGERS George D. McNish, Tampa, Fla.

Application November 21, 1956, Serial No. 623,681

4 Claims. (Cl. 81-15) The present invention generally relates to a hand tool and more particularly to a tool for bending wires or rods, such as those devices known as hangers which extend downwardly from a ceiling to provide a support for a channel which is employed for holding metal laths or equivalent mechanisms for holding a ceiling construction in position.

In certain types of building construction, wire rods are embedded in an overhead ceiling and such rods depend downwardly for supporting horizontal channels or other structural elements which in turn support metal laths for receiving plaster or other similar building material supporting devices. A multiplicity of such depending wire rods are provided and in order to support the channel at a desired height with all of the channels being disposed at the same height, it is necessary to strike a line on all of the wire rods at the same height level and subsequently bend all of the wire rods preferably in an identical manner. Various tools have been employed for bending such wire rods and these tools range from conventional pliers on to specially constructed tools such as that illustrated in Patent No. 2,675,723 to J. E. Stein issued April 20, 1954. All of the previously known devices fail to provide a tool which is easily used and accurate, as well as adapted to complete the bending of the wire rod in a single operation and further to complete the securing operation. 'Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a bender for wire rod hangers in which the bender requires the use of only one hand for operation thereof and includes means for attaching the bender temporarily to the wire rod for facilitating the bending operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wire rod bender including means for accurately positioning the tool for bending each rod at the desired point.

Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide a wire rod bender incorporating means on one portion thereof for engagement with the free end of the bent wire, whereby the same may be easily wrapped around the main portion of the wire rod hanger and thus securely support the channel.

Other important objects of the present invention will reside in its simplicity of construction, adaptation for its particular purposes, case of operation, accurateness and its relatively inexpensive manufacturing cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is an elevational view illustrating a wire rod hanger supporting a channel with the hanger being secured to the channel by employing the tool of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view illustrating the tool of the present invention in use;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 33 of Figure 2 illustrating the details of construction of the bender of the present invention; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view illustrating the detachable construction of the wire engaging member, thus permitting renewal or replacement thereof.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the bender of the present invention which is adapted to bend wire rod hangers 14. These hangers are supported from overhead ceiling structure 16 and are looped around a channel 18, which is normally employed for supporting metal laths in any suitable manner.

The bender 10 of the present invention includes an elongated generally flat bar member 20 having a laterally projecting flange 22 at the upper end thereof which is disposed in opposed relation to the laterally extending flange 24 of an L-shaped member 26 having one flange thereof rigidly secured to the bar or strap 20. The upper outer edge portion of the flange 24 is struck inwardly as designated by the numeral 28 for a gripping engagement with the wire rod 14, thus mounting the straps 20 thereon and maintaining the tool 10 on the wire rod 14.

The lower end of the strap 20 is provided with an outwardly extending flange 30 in alignment with the flange 22 and disposed in spaced parallel relation to the flange 30 is an anvil or forming member 32 substantially in the form of a rectangular block secured to the strap 20 by a pair of longitudinally spaced screw-threaded fasteners 34 which may be removed forreplacing the anvil 32.

An elongated handle member 36 is hingedly connected to the lower end of the strap 20 by a hinge pin 38 which extends through the handle member 36 with the handle member 36 being secured thereon by removable fastener elements 40, such as a cotter pin or similar fastening device. One free end of the handle 36 is slightly offset and forms a hand grip area 42 with the outer end thereof being provided with an aperture 44 for a purpose described hereinafter. I

Remote from the aperture 44 at the other end of member 36, is provided a laterally extending stub shaft 46 having a roller 48 journaled thereon, with the roller 48 being maintained on the shaft by a removable fastener element 50 such as a cotter key. The roller 48 is disposed parallel to and slightly spaced from the pivot pin 38, whereby the hand grip 42 will have a considerable mechanical advantage for bending the wire rod 14 about the lower end of the anvil 32. As clearly shown in Figure 3, the anvil 32 and the flange 30 form a vertical slot 52 for receiving the rod 14. The reference line on the rod 14 is brought into alignment with the lower edge of the flange 30 or the lower edge of the anvil 32 by sliding the strap 20 vertically on the wire rod 14. With the handle member 36 disposed alongside of the strap 20, the roller 48 will engage one edge of the Wire rod 14, whereby downward pressure exerted on the hand grip 42 will bend the wire arm 14 about the lower corners of the anvil 32 substantially as illustrated in Figure 2. After the free end portion of the wire rod 14 is bent into parallel spaced relation to the main portion thereof, the channel 18 may be positioned therein after which the free end portion of the wire rod member 14 may be twisted around the main portion of the rod 14 as illustrated by numeral 54 in Figure 1. This twisting operation is carried out by positioning the aperture 44 over the free end of the wire rod and using the bender as a lever for twisting the wire rod member in the manner illustrated in Figure 1.

With the present device, the entire bending operation may be carried out in one movement of the handle member 36 it is only necessary to use one hand in bending the wire rod member. This one operation will save considerable time, inasmuch as there is no necessity for sequential bending and the time consumed thereby. After the wire rod 14 is initially bent and the tool removed therefrom, the channel 18 is supported therein and the wire twisted as designated by numeral 54, thus providing a rigid and accurate support for the channel 18.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bending tool for bending vertically suspended wire rod hangers for receiving horizontal supporting channels, comprising a strap member adapted to be disposed alongside of the suspended wire rod hanger in slightly spaced relation thereto, means on said member at one end thereof for engagement with the suspended end of the wire rod hanger, means forming an anvil at the other end of said strap member, a pivotal handle mounted on the anvil end of said strap member, a roller mounted on one end of said handle adjacent the anvil and parallel thereto for engagement with said rod hanger for bending the wire rod hanger around the anvil when the handle is pulled downwardly, said engagement means including an immovable clip.

2. A bending tool for bending vertically suspended wire rod hangers for receiving horizontal supporting channels, comprising a strap member adapted to be disposed alongside of the suspended wire rod hanger in slightly spaced relation thereto, means on said member at one end thereof for engagement with the suspended end of the wire rod hanger, means forming an anvil at the other end of said strap member, a pivotal handle mounted on the anvil end of said strap member, a roller mounted on one end of said handle adjacent the anvil and parallel thereto for engagement with said rod hanger for bending the wire rod hanger around the anvil when the handle is pulled downwardly, said engagement means including an immovable clip, said anvil forming means including a block and a flange spaced therefrom for receiving the wire rod hanger therebetween thus limiting the bending of the wire rod hanger to the bottom corners of the block.

3. A device for bending vertically suspended wire, comprising an elongated member disposed longitudinally of and slightly spaced from the wire and being detachably connected thereto by engagement means including an immovable clip whereby said wire bending device may be quickly and easily engaged with the suspended vertical wire, an anvil on one end of said member remote from said clip with the suspended end of the wire disposed against one side thereof, a handle pivotally mounted on said member adjacent the anvil, said handle having pro jection means thereon for engaging the suspended end of the wire in opposing relation to the anvil whereby pivotal movement of the handle will bend the wire around one end of said anvil.

4. A bending tool for bending vertically suspended wire rod hangers for receiving horizontal supporting channels comprising a strap member adapted to be disposed alongside of the suspended wire rod hanger in slightly spaced relation thereto, means on said member at one end thereof for engagement with the suspended end of the wire rod hanger, means forming an anvil at the other end of said strap member, a pivotal handle mounted on the anvil end of said strap member, a roller mounted on one end of said handle adjacent the anvil and parallel thereto for engagement with said rod hanger for bending the wire rod hanger around the anvil when the handle is pulled downwardly, said anvil forming means including a block and a flange spaced therefrom for receiving the wire rod hanger therebetween but limiting the bending of the wire rod member to the bottom corners of the block, said engagement means including an L-shaped member having one leg thereof rigidly secured to the strap member, another leg of said L-shaped member projecting outwardly from said strap member and having its upper outer edge portion struck inwardly, a flange projecting laterally outwardly from said strap member in spaced, parallel relation to another leg, thereby defining a slot in registry with said receiving means, whereby the wire rod hanger may be received in said slot so as to quickly and easily engage said tool with a wire rod hanger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 358,044 Lea Feb. 22, 1887 369,011 Kelly et al Aug. 30, 1887 1,879,199 Grimes Sept. 27, 1932 2,675,723 Stein Apr. 20, 1954 

